Weavable Construction toys for Young children

ABSTRACT

This is a toy that involves weaving thin plastic strips through notches in a variety of fun shapes. It is designed for young children to develop finger dexterity as they manipulate the plastic strips to go in and out of the notches. The shapes vary in size, color, theme and complexity. Toy difficulty is graded by the number and sizes of notches and number of sides each strip has. The easiest toys designed for younger children have larger, less notches and simple strips. The more complex shapes have smaller and more notches and use strips that may have 2 or more sides or complex curves. In addition, some shapes and corresponding strips have holes so that after the strips are woven and aligned they can be laced with string. The types and themes of shapes that are woven with one or more strips are limitless.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I am an occupational therapist and design therapeutic and learning toys that help young children develop fine-motor hand skills. I describe how to make the following toys out of plastic detergent bottles in an upcoming digital book. I do not want a toy company or others to use these ideas to mass produce and sell these toys. However, after patent pending I will offer to sell the concept to toy companies. I have previously and continue to design and fabricate home-made toys and therapeutic activities out of detergent bottle plastic as described in my book The Recycling Occupational Therapist. The toys shown in the spec drawings are made from detergent bottle plastic, but can be made from any thin strong flat plastic product.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This is a toy that develops manipulation skills in young children. It consists of 1) a shape that has notches and 2) 1 or more thin strips that are woven through the notches. The strips are woven in and out of notched openings inside each shape. The “strips” may be of a straight or curved shape and have 1 or more sides. The “shapes” may consist of 1) basic shapes such as a straight line, circle, square or triangle, 2) recognizable object shapes such as a heart or star, 3) letters or numbers. One or more strips are woven into each shape so that the child needs to determine which strips fit into which shape and also which strip fits into each section of each shape. The child needs to match lengths and shapes, determine how to orient the strips to the notches and how to manipulate the strips that have two sides to them. This toy develops finger dexterity as the strips are woven and visual-perceptual matching skills. In addition some of the strips and shapes have holes punched in them so that after the strips are woven through the holes can be aligned and then laced. This toy can be adapted to different ages and skill levels by varying number and size of notches. Younger children do not have to lace the shapes after weaving. That is an optional activity for older more advanced children.

Some shapes will have the holes and others will not. Children can also use the shapes as stencils by drawing along the outlines and drawing small lines inside the notches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1A: Straight plastic shape with strip woven through notch Openings

FIG. 1B: Straight plastic shape with strip woven through notch opening and holes punched into both the shape and strip

FIG. 1C: Straight plastic shape with strip woven through notch openings and string laced through holes in both shape and strip.

FIG. 2A: Plastic triangle shape with notches for weaving

FIG. 2B: Two plastic strips used to weave into triangle shape

FIG. 2C: Triangle with 2 shapes woven through notches.

FIG. 3A: Two plastic strips used to weave into notched heart Shape

FIG. 3B: Heart shape with 2 plastic strips woven through notches

FIG. 4A: Circular strip used to weave into notches in pumpkin Shape.

FIG. 4B: Pumpkin shape with strip woven through notches

FIG. 5A: Two strips used to weave into notches in rectangle. Each strip has a long and short side to create the rectangle shape.

FIG. 5B: Rectangular shape with 2 strips woven; each strip has a long and short side.

FIG. 6: Letter Z shape with 3 different color strips woven into notches.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The process of making thin, strong plastic is well established in the production of detergent bottles and toys. This invention uses the commercially available plastics to shape the unique construction toys that involve weaving strip into shape notches. A person skilled in the area of making, cutting or shaping plastic can use this invention to create toys.

Each notched “shape” that is woven will vary in size, color, design, number, size and spacing of notches. Each “strip” will vary in width, length and shape and size. However, distance between notches is even and consistent (i.e. ½ inch between notches) and size of notches on any given shape is consistent. Strips may vary in length and shape to correspond to the shape but the width is consistent for all strips used in a given shape.

Some shapes have holes which are evenly spaced along the shape.

FIGS. 1 (A B and C) illustrate the straight shape with strip woven through. Holes are added and should be evenly spaced so that the toy can be laced. The notches should be evenly spaced and of equal sizes.

FIG. 2 (A B and C) illustrate the triangle shape with notches of equal size and evenly spaced. The straight crosshatched strip and dark 2 sided angled strip are both of the same width.

FIG. 3 (A and B) illustrate a heart shape and the 2 curved strips that are woven to create the heart shape. The strips are of even width and may be of same or different colors. The illustration shows different colors for clarification purposes. The notches are evenly spaced on the heart shape.

FIG. 4 (A and B) illustrate a pumpkin shape with a curved strip that corresponds to the pumpkin shape. The notches on the shape should be of equal size and evenly spaced. The strip should be of an even, consistent width.

FIG. 5 (A and B) illustrate a rectangular shape with equal sized and evenly spaced notches. Each of the 2 strips are woven into a long and short side of the rectangle. The 2 strips should be identical in size and shape but may vary in color.

FIG. 6 The Z shape should have equal sized and spaced notches. The strips are of equal width but vary in length to correspond to the Z shape. The top and bottom strips are of equal length and the middle, diagonal strip is of longer length. 

1. Weavable construction toys consist of a notched usually recognizable shape such as a triangle, heart or letter that is woven with one or more thin plastic strips that may vary in color, shape, size or length. Level of difficulty varies based on size, number of notches and whether or not lacing holes are added and can be marketed accordingly. Although this patent specifies use of thin easy to use plastic, other Fabrication materials used to make weavable construction toys are included in this claim. This claim includes use of the weavable construction toy concept used in specific toy themed products such as alphabet shapes, water critter shapes (i.e. fish and sea shells), outer space (i.e. star, sun and moon shapes) or seasonal theme shapes (i.e. ghosts, witches, pumpkins). 